Just a few weeks ago analysts thought the jobs – 20,000 during the building phase alone – and economic benefits would easily outweigh environmental concerns and push the Obama administration to approve Keystone XL. But now, after a summer of protests culminating in Sunday's 10,000 strong White House encirclement and on top of Nebraska's vow to force a rerouting, the US State Department’s inspector general on Monday ordered a "special review" of the Obama administration’s handling of Keystone XL following complaints from members of Congress that the process has been tainted by conflicts of interest.

The CourierMail reports fly-in, fly-out "working girls" travelling from as far away as New Zealand to the remote mining regions of Queensland and Western Australia are making as much as $2,000 a day from mine labourers who have lots of cash but are deprived of female company for weeks on end. Fifo prostitution is just the latest concern for rural communities in the country's mineral-rich states who are becoming increasingly unhappy about mining firms like BHP that set up self-contained mining towns cut off from locals or let miners fly in and out without ever investing in existing communities.

Taseko Mining should be hearing from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency on whether the revised Prosperity Mine proposal can go ahead. Taseko Mines (TSE:TKO) estimates its proposed New Prosperity copper-gold mine, to built in near Williams Lake in British Columbia, would generate $9.8 billion in tax revenues for the federal and BC government over the next 20 years. The Vancouver-based company is taking another run at developing the $1.5-billion project after the federal government rejected it last fall.

Cameco (TSE:CCO), the world's largest uranium producer, said Q3 earnings were 30% higher at $104 million or 26 cents a share compared to the same quarter last year. However, losses on foreign exchange derivatives have driven up costs for the year. Net earnings for the first nine months of 2011 were $186 million or 47 cents per share diluted. In 2010 net earnings were $311 million or 79 cents per share. The company also said that lower earnings and higher prices were weighing on all three sets of businesses: electricity business, uranium business and fuel services business. Cameco's stock opened on Monday 2.66% lower at $21.08 per share.

Jim Rogers, famed commodity investor, told Fox News that the next economic slowdown is due in 2012 or 2013, but this time the U.S. won't have the tools to dig itself out.

A husband and wife in the U.S. face 20 years of prison time for tax evasion due on the many properties they hold. Before they were tripped up by the authorities, the colourful couple required that renters pay them in silver coins. The couple, who called themselves sovereign citizens while living in Alabama, also buried $350,000 worth of gold coins in their backyard.

If you thought it had slipped onto the backburner, you'd be wrong. The Keystone XL pipeline is back in the news, this time courtesy of prime time TV actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, better known as Jerry Seinfeld's witty ex-girlfriend in the '90s blockbuster sitcom. Louis-Dreyfus is the latest Hollywood star to go public against TransCanada's $7-billion project to transport Canadian oilsands crude from nothern Alberta to Texas refineries. Her appearance this week in a Youtube video by environmental group Tar Sands Action follows similar public appearances by Daryl Hannah, Robert Redford, Mark Ruffalo and other celebrity activists.

A temporary production stoppage by China's largest rare earth exporter makes the creation of an American rare earth stockpile more likely, according to a report by dealReporter that appeared in yesterday's FT. The stoppage was a "wake-up call" for the US Department of Defense because the rare earth elements are needed for a variety of defense applications, writes dealReporter, citing a congressional source. The article quotes congressional sources and three rare earth companies saying that "the creation of a US rare earth strategic reserve is more likely to get the go-ahead after (Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth (SHA:600111)) halted production. Such a move would create another source of demand for the metals, likely aiding a rebirth of the US rare earths industry."

The Guardian reports the U.S.-based Carter Center has launched a website to shine a light on the corrupt mining industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: